Stillbirths--ten years experience at Toa Payoh Hospital.
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Resumo
An analysis of 287 consecutive stillbirths associated with 47,171 deliveries in Toa Payoh Hospital between 1978 and 1987 was undertaken. The incidence of stillbirths was 6.1 +/- 1.26 per 1,000 total births. 149 out of 287 cases (51.9%) had known causes of death. Intrauterine anoxia and congenital malformations are the commonest diagnosis. In contrast, in 48.1% (138/287) of the stillbirths, we were unable to determine the underlying causes because of maceration and a low autopsy rate. Among the 287 stillborn infants, 54% were born prematurely, and 64.2% were born with birth weights of less than 2,500 g. 8.4% of the mothers had a past history of one to three abortions, and 5.6% of the mothers had a past history of one or more stilbirths. This study showed that the stillbirth rate in this hospital has not changed significantly in the last ten years.